Â£900,000 FLAG grants fund

The Northern Devon Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) is offering grant funding and technical support for equipment, promotion, training, etc. for projects linked with fish, eco-tourism, seafood, fishing, angling, processing, marine environment, heritage and culture. Businesses don’t have to be in fishing to apply for a grant for their project.

The scheme launches at 2.00pm on Tuesday 2 October in the Henry Williamson room of Barnstaple Library, Barnstaple. A drop-in session will follow until 6pm.

Ilfracombe drop-in sessions will take place from 2.00pm to 7.00pm on Wednesday 17 October at the Ilfracombe Rocket Shed (next to Ilfracombe Aquarium). There will be presentations on the grants at 2.30pm and 5.30pm.

FLAG small business grants are designed to help businesses to grow and be innovative through new projects that are linked to and have a benefit for the fisheries sector and communities in North Devon and Torridge. Grants of between Â£600 and Â£15,000 are available to businesses with a trading address in the FLAG area. Grants are limited to 40% of project costs.

Grants are available to businesses and community organisations with a project that will bring a benefit to the fisheries communities of Northern Devon, in particular those of Appledore, Bideford, Clovelly and Ilfracombe.

Northern Devon FLAG has more than Â£900,000 in grants available from the European Fisheries Fund and the Department for Food and Rural Affairs for the Torridge and North Devon districts. All projects require match funding with an average grant rate of around 50%. The FLAG team is hosted by North Devon+. For details visit ndflag.co.uk.